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DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1773536
Photochemical Activation of Ruthenium Complexes Containing Unsymmetrical Unsaturated N-Heterocyclic Carbenes for Olefin Metathesis
This work was supported by the Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie (CIFRE n° 2017/0873, grants to F.K.) and Agence Nationale de la Recherche ‘France Relance’ (fellowship to A.D.V.).

In honor of Professor Knochel’s 70th birthday
Abstract
Olefin metathesis is a fundamental transformation in organic chemist’s toolbox. Herein we report a methodological study on a set of bench stable, latent, ruthenium-indenylidene catalysts bearing two unsymmetrical unsaturated N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands. These complexes are successfully ‘activated’ and applied to ring-closing metathesis (RCM), cross-metathesis (CM), and ring-opening cross metathesis (ROCM) upon light irradiation in the presence of an organic photoactivator. The transformations could be performed at lower catalytic loading (down to 1 mol%) compared to the state-of-the-art photochemical activation methods, providing good yields in shorter reaction time
Supporting Information
- Supporting information for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1773536.
- Supporting Information
Publication History
Received: 11 February 2025
Accepted after revision: 19 March 2025
Article published online:
16 April 2025
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For previous light-activation of olefin metathesis catalysts, see: